Category Archives: 1864

Civil War Re-enactors Settle Battle

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Civil War Re-enactors Fight Results in a Draw

I have to include this post, because the story is bizarre.

The Associated Press reports a judge on January 6, 2010 found two Civil War re-enactors (a Johnny Reb and a Billy Yank) not guilty of assault. Seems the two were involved in a re-enactment of the Battle of Stanardsville when their re-enacting became too realistic.

The two were re-enacting as cavalry officers, and Johnny Reb claims Billy Yank knocked his hat off. Johnny Reb then responded by firing his revolver at Billy Yank. Although the revolver had a blank round, Billy Yank was injured. Then the two went on to feed the lawyers.

Here is The Associated Press report:

VIRGINIA
Re-enactors’ spat settled in court

STANARDSVILLE – A judge says it’s a draw between two Union and Confederate re-enactors who got into a tussle on the battlefield.

A judge found each man not guilty of assault on Wednesday after they pressed charges against each other over the dispute last September.

The men were playing cavalry officers in a re-enactment of the Battle of Stanardsville. The Confederate re-enactor claims his Union counterpart knocked his hat off.

The Confederate was accused of responding by firing a blank round from his revolver and injuring the Union re-enactor.
The Associated Press

I’m a fan of Civil War re-enactors. I appreciate and enjoy how they strive to bring history alive for us. If you ever get a chance to see a Civil War battle re-enactment, do it. But, I have to say in my point of view, these two Civil War re-enactors are nuts. To put it in 1800s terms; these two guys are crazy as loons.

To add some actual Civil War history value to this post:

 

The Battle of Stanardsville was fought on March 1, 1864 when cavalry led by Union General George Armstrong Custer fought with a brigade of J.E.B Stuart’s Confederate cavalry at Stanardsville, Virginia, near the South River.

The cavalry fight included charges with sabers clanging at each other, followed by counter-charges and more saber clanging. Custer wound up retreating across the South River at Banks Ford, and then heading north to Culpeper.

Abraham Lincoln Elected to his Second Term as President

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November 8, 1864

On this day in 1864, Abraham Lincoln was elected to his second term as president of the United States.

President Abraham Lincoln

President Abraham Lincoln

This was one of the few elections in world history held in the middle of a civil war. As the country’s president and with the difficult circumstances of the ongoing Civil War, Lincoln might have tried to cancel or postpone the election until the war was over. Instead, Lincoln said:

“If the rebellion could force us to forego, or postpone a national election, it might fairly claim to have already conquered and ruined us.”

The Confederate Army had recently advanced so close to Washington, D.C., that by standing on top of a parapet with field glasses, Lincoln was able to watch a battle. On July 30, 4,000 Union soldiers were killed in a disastrous attempt to invade Petersburg, Virginia.

The army needed 500,000 more soldiers, Lincoln would probably have to call for another draft and the war debt was becoming unsustainable. On August 23, Lincoln wrote a memo to his cabinet saying:

“This morning, and for some days past, it seems exceedingly probable that this Administration will not be re-elected.”

As the presidential election day drew near, President Lincoln’s hopes for a second term were fading.

The Democrat Party had as its candidate former Union general George B. McClellan and its platform was based on ending the war. This policy turned out to be a huge mistake when news arrived early September that the Union Army had captured Atlanta and Mobile. The Union forces were now starting to win battles and the war. Suddenly, the Democrats looked like the party of surrender and this made all the difference in the election.

Abraham Lincoln won the election with 2,330,552 votes to challenger George B. McClellan’s 1,835,985 votes. Lincoln had 212 Electoral College votes to McClellan’s 21 votes. Lincoln carried every state except New Jersey, Delaware, and Kentucky.